Saudi Arabia's burgeoning tourism industry is exemplified by the transformation of Al-Ula, a largely untouched desert region home to historic Nabatean tombs. Originally closed to widespread tourism, the country's new initiatives have prompted swift changes, resembling Dubai's rapid development. Travelers feel a pressing need to visit Al-Ula before it becomes overcrowded with hotels and tourists, mirroring the situation at Petra in Jordan. Although Saudi Arabia is modernizing and improving its image, ongoing concerns about human rights and restrictions like the alcohol ban still pose challenges for many potential visitors.
'The wind- and human-sculpted tombs chiseled into these mountains were the southernmost reaches of the Nabatean empire, which famously built Petra... but Petra now offers a glimpse of what Al-Ula will no doubt become in the next 10 to 20 years.'
'That elusive location is becoming something of a mirage... The urgency to visit Al-Ula has increased, as it remains barely untouched by time amid the rapid transformations in Saudi Arabia.'
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